PASTA MAKING

The pasta is made using the following procedure:

1.       Mix of durum wheat flour (or else spelt or kamut) and water.

2.       The dough is drawn through a draw – plate to obtain the desired shape.  Different draw-plates change the shape of the pasta.

3.       The drawn dough is then cut at brief and regular intervals in order to have every piece at the right length.

4.       The cut pasta is then dried until it is suitable for preservation.

It is finally weighed and packaged.

Most of our pasta making is carried out through a close collaboration with Di Antonio Pasta Factory that works solely with superfine organic flour mainly for the Cooperative’s production.

Alessandro and Marina, the two young owners, gather the family pasta making tradition, which has continuously developed since 1874.  All of the secrets for the pasta’s organoleptic quality can be found in Alessandro’s rich family tradition along with his passion for this work.
 

The principle secret behind La Terra e il Cielo’s high quality organoleptic pasta is in the drying process used in the pasta factory, other than the century old experience of our master miller and pasta maker.  In the larger pasta factories, the pasta is dried in three to four hours with temperatures up to 130 degrees Celsius.  Unfortunately, many vital substances are lost in this way.  At 80 degrees Celsius there is already a 40% loss of vitamin B1 and a 53% loss of vitamin B2.  Also, the contents of two essential amino acids lysine and methionine diminish considerably.  Furthermore, at 60 degrees Celsius, the starch structure gelatinizes, becomes hard and more difficult to digest.  Since the pasta remains “al dente”, consumers think it is of higher quality.

In our pasta factory, on the other hand, drying takes place in numerous stages in hot air desiccators at temperatures that correspond to Italian summers (only 45 degrees Celsius) and lasts 24 to 40 hours depending on the pasta shape. 

The law states that the level of humidity can reach 12.5%.  Our pasta is dried more thoroughly and therefore arrives at a humidity level from 8% to 10% depending on the shape.  The drawing stage is done carefully so that the dough doesn’t heat up with the great pressure that is placed on it.  This is made possible due to a water-cooling system. All in all, our pasta is a natural product that is less tolerant during cooking than are dead pastas.

Keeping in mind what is described above, it is no surprise that our pasta has been recognized internationally (see Awards).